Dr. Dirt · Field Lab
Your soil tells a story. Let Dr. Dirt read it to you. Field measurements and live microscopy, turned into a practical plan instead of guesswork.
Bring a sample to the Makuʻu Farmers Market and watch it tested while you wait.
Dr. Dirt comes to your garden, farm, nursery or compost operation anywhere on Hawaiʻi Island.
Not sure which fits? Describe your problem or call 808-992-0106.
pH, EC, redox (ORP), quick live microscopy and one prescription. Brix is included when you bring suitable fresh young leaves or a whole plant collected before noon.
Three core tests: top, middle and deep soil kept separate. The combined profile results in one prescription.
Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium screening. Soil or plant is $20 each; comparing one soil sample with one plant sample is recommended.
Additional microbial biomass and fungal-to-bacterial context. Charged per sample.
Matched to area, crop, region, elevation, weather and project goals.
Available only with a prescription, so amendments are tied to measured need instead of sold blindly.
The digital Prescription Creator I built organizes measurements, plant context, growing area and field observations into guidance you can use and recheck.
For gardens, farms, nurseries, landscapes and compost producers that want answers on site. Every visit is scoped around your problem, location, sample count and the kind of record you need.
Expanded biological observation beyond the quick market view.
Compare fresh, aging and finished materials while following the conditions that influence nutrient retention, fermentation, stability and biology.
Evaluation, monitoring, consulting and education around biological preparations and their use.
Representative sampling, mobile measurements, treatment comparisons and monitoring plans for gardens, farms, planting media and production materials.
Mobile visits are quoted after a short conversation. Call 808-992-0106 or send the details.
Request a Site VisitMeasured applications can reduce waste and help keep excess nutrients out of porous ground and waterways, where nutrient-rich runoff can contribute to coastal algal blooms and aggressive invasive plant growth.
Representative, fresh, uncompacted samples make the measurements more useful. Keep each depth separate unless you specifically want a rapid blended overview. Mobile Field Lab visits: Dr. Dirt collects the samples on site.
No one reading tells the whole story. I select methods that fit the question and interpret them together with the sample history and field context.
Bright-field, darkfield, oil-immersion examination, staining methods, hemocytometer counts, quick live microscopy, detailed organism observations, and MicroBIOMETER readings where applicable.
Reagent-based soil and plant NPK screening, including nitrogen/nitrate, phosphorus/phosphate, and potassium context, plus fresh-leaf Brix for plant sugars and response.
Digital pH, electrical conductivity, and Eh/ORP measurements, with turbidity testing where it suits a liquid preparation or monitoring question.
Temperature, moisture, odor, texture, root-zone conditions, sample depth, untreated-versus-treated comparisons, batch records, photos, and changes across time.
You do not need to know which test to request. Tell me what you are seeing, where the project is, and what you want to understand. I will help identify a sensible starting point.
Service area includes Mountain View, East Hawaiʻi, and Big Island mobile visits by arrangement. Samples may be dropped at Makuʻu Farmers Market or exchanged locally by arrangement.
Email directly: drdirt@plantsandpeople.earth
Phone: 808-992-0106
Field screening, comparative monitoring, and educational interpretation complement but do not replace accredited laboratory testing for pathogens, contaminants, regulatory compliance, or certified nutrient analysis.
I offer microscope demonstrations, soil-science conversations, grower education, and participatory school programs that make the living world visible and understandable.